julius rensch

[QUOTE=Andrew R Stewart;21372061]I made this list in my head over a few decades and in the late 1990s put it to paper for an upcoming local Cleveland bike club winter meeting. It shows my bias and view from behind the service counter, from being the boss for nearly 15 years at that point, from being a rider who was a fast wanabe and from my frame building experiences. I'm sure many will add their best or worst.

The criteria I tried to follow were base level stuff and not tweaks to already existing designs. (Like der gear trains met the top 10 and indexed shifting barely made the honorable mentions, as without multiple gears indexing is a moot point).

As much as the best 10 are what many will focus on as a lifer in the LBS it's the 10 worst that really hits home for me. Often it's what to avoid that's more important then what to pick. Andy
[/QUOTE ........thanks Andrew for the great list....I would as the Worst "Foldinig Bikes and agree with the Best being pneumatic tyres... Julius in Ohio................................................................................................ .................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... .......................................

tonymarch

Did I miss integrated brake/shift levers on anyone's best list? I don't remember seeing them anywhere. Definitely one of the best and most significant (recent) inventions.
From the early days of mountain biking, V-brakes were a godsend compared to cantilevers. Certainly been overshadowed by discs recently, but they were great in their day.
On the bad side, Campy Delta brakes, while beautiful, were horrendous. Unless they were PERFECTLY adjusted (which is supposedly difficult), they would either squeal horribly or barely stop the bike. I'll also cast a negative vote for press fit BB bearings. They just don't hold up well. Hopefully the T47 standard continues to get adapted by the bigger players and becomes the de facto standard. Just seems so much more reliable, like the good old threaded BB shells.

rydabent

Kind of funny that some are still listing disc brakes on both the worst and the best side of the list. When you list the pros and the cons, with disc brakes the pros have a longer list. Two of the pros at the top of the list are they dont ruin rims, and better stopping power in the wet.

Jean_TX

Guy153 : Are you referring to the Trimble mountain bike? It was kinda neat - rode one once.

DorkDisk

Best::

1) 5 speed
2) 6 speed
3) 7 speed
4) 8 speed
5) 9 speed
6) 10 speed
7) 11 speed
8) 12 speed

But seriously, for off-road: clutch

imakecircles

The combination of Cable and Housing for controls (brake & derailleur) has to be one of the most universally adopted innovations in cycling.

satrain18

Basically, a Dutch opa/omafiets.

70sSanO

I didn’t see it listed, index shifting is probably one of the best inventions. I used friction for decades, but index really is better. I know being stranded 500 miles from nowhere... blah, blah, blah.

As for rapid rise, I use them on my mountain bikes they work great, even with a 13-40 cassette. Don’t care it they are a fail in most people’s minds, they have never failed me.

John

Edit Added: I will say that rapid rise does reward good shifting technique and punishes poor technique.

Any time a shift is from smaller ring/cog to larger, the shift should be done by reducing drivetrain pressure.

Unfortunately over the years a lot of that technique is gone. Manufacturers have built ramps, pins, or whatever to help the shift. It is possible to shift flat rings like glass. You will lose a few precious milliseconds and that precious life altering time, but it can be done and done well.

With rapid rise, that technique is needed, but it should be used even with top normal. I have noticed that with the 40t cog I really have to be mindful of that technique. But with a top normal, which I also use, I should be just as mindful and not just pull the cable and shove the chain over.

GamblerGORD53

Since this is opened again...
I just broke my PB longest day ride by 7 miles on my custom OPA heavyweight. LOL
Double my age 133.66 MILES on the 73 lbs bike, with my recently fixed SA XL-RD5w. First 59 miles had a 16.08 avg.
NO other hub has been easier for me getting down the HIGHWAY. Way less tired, at least in calmer and flatter conditions.

MrInitialMan

I'd say one of the best inventions is the diamond frame. I've seen penny-farthings. I have yet to ride one, but... I'd be so nervous about hitting a rock!

texaspandj

Did this thread start at the beginning of the S-I-P?
I think there shouldn't be an honorable mention list. That would have given us more things to add other wise everythings already been covered by the OP.
Also somehow this turned into two different ways of looking at this: from a riders point of view and a mechanics point of view. I think the OP was even looking at it from an lbs owners point of view.
Take SIS, from a riders point of view great. No more miss shifts, esp in the heat of competition and of course with a twist you could turn it to friction. From a mechanics point of view, now you have more adjustments to make besides just setting h and l limit, e.g. barrel adjustment, then shift, maybe another barrel adjustment. Not difficult or over whelming but from the lbs owners standpoint more time spent on a gear tune-up.
Oh and another point of view, cycling advocacy community, the easy cheap gripshift handle twist to change gears means more people involved in cycling but ask a mechanic or lbs owner how they feel about them.

Homebrew01

Another "worst"...Crank arm with 90 degree bends. To trick gullible cyclists into thinking it avoided dead spots. Just added weight & flex.

_ForceD_

I think the drive chain as a whole should be on the good list. Early bikes were velocipedes with no system of pedals to turn the wheel.

Dan

3alarmer 

.
...in my lifetime, I have been most impressed with the invention of the bead jack, which has come together with improved pneumatic clincher tyre technology for bicycles.

rydabent

This guy goes overboard on things that the average cyclist would never use, such as a power meter.

rydabent

How about the trike being on at least the honorable mention list. It lets many old people and people with infirmaties cycle.

I would also add twist shift gear changing. Light reliable and always handy.

billridesbikes

I’m going with the Automobile. Definitely a very bad invention for bicycles.

Also, what’s up with these massive semi- truck looking grills on new truck and SUVs? I doubt drivers can actually see what is in front of them. That is also a crappy innovation for bicycles and pedestrians.

79pmooney

For all those pushing for safety aka diamond frames - yes a big step up from the high wheel ordinary but doesn't qualify here because that frame layout was in use before the high wheeler. It just got bypassed when pedals came along and everyone wanted a higher gear. (Look at the early push bikes.) It was the chain that allowed returning to the older push bike geometry.

Ben

fietsbob

Chindogu for bicycles I love Chindogu stuff ..

this one counts..

fietsbob

Point

I personally wouldn’t include clueless pedals, although I ride them and like them. Added efficiency doesn’t necessarily go along with being clipped in, as discussed a lot around here. I would however add an evolution of the freewheel ratchet, the freehub, that greatly lowers the chance of a broken axle. Now if we could only get manufacturers to sell individual cogs...

fietsbob

call Mr. Pabody & Sherman for some time traveling ..

Point

If you’re bringing up Jay Ward cartoons you’ve got my attention. Yes, will need a Wayback machine to the late 80’s soon after freehubs became common and replacing individual cogs was touted as a great advantage. Now the advantage goes to the manufacturers who force you to buy the whole cassette.

Andrew R Stewart 

Always like that solar eclipse watch. Andy

fietsbob

It has been been demonstrated, in time, Loose, separate , cogs, climbing, dug into the freehub driver splines,